Two at St. Francis awarded $150,000 NROTC scholarships

Two St. Francis Catholic High School students were awarded Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships on Tuesday, each worth more than $150,000.

By Andrew WyzanCorrespondent

Two St. Francis Catholic High School students were awarded Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarships on Tuesday, each worth more than $150,000.Thomas Brinsko and Andrew Niesen, both 18 and graduating seniors, will receive full tuition for four years at any accredited college with an NROTC program.The scholarship money will also cover any academic or textbook fees and provide a monthly stipend.

Brinsko will be attending Florida State University in pursuit of a criminology degree, while Niesen is attending the University of South Florida majoring in either mechanical engineering or criminal justice.U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. John Miles, who nominated the two students, said only eight students were awarded the scholarship in North Central Florida and South Georgia, an area that spans from Cedar Key to Jacksonville, then north all the way north to Albany, Ga.Brinsko and Niesen are the only two students from Alachua County to be awarded the scholarship.The rigorous application process involves acceptance into the college of the students' choice, which the student can apply to online with his or her academic qualifications. A physical fitness test is given to those who qualify, followed by an interview with a Marine officer in Jacksonville.“To apply for the scholarship, you have to put in extreme dedication and be of high moral character,” Miles said.Brinsko and Niesen said they have known each other since the third grade and became fast friends in high school while playing for the school's football team — Brinsko as an offensive lineman and Niesen as both a linebacker and a tight end.“I've always wanted to be a Marine since I was little,” said Brinsko. “Now I can go to college and not have my parents carry the burden.”Brinsko's father served in the Marine Corps for 30 years and did a tour of duty in Iraq, so Thomas has grown up in the sphere of military service.“I always felt that being around that patriotism and camaraderie made me want to follow in my father's footsteps,” he said.Niesen comes from a similar background. His father was a Marine stationed in Cote d'Ivorie, Africa, at the time of his birth, and the family moved around the U.S before settling in Gainesville.“I just grew up in the atmosphere of the Marine life,” Niesen said. “It teaches you things that can make you a successful person.”Both of them said they are planning to join the Corps after graduating.“Outside of the Marine Corps, if I got into a career in criminology, I can do a lot of good and help a lot of people,” Brinsko said. “My parents raised me to think that there's more to the world than my little circle.”